Firebase is an astounding tool. Hundreds of millions of people use Firebase -powered apps. The company started as backend-as-a-service for app developers that made real-time functionality simple for Shazam, NPR, SeatGeek, and hundreds of thousands of other apps. Since being acquired by Google in 2014, Firebase has expanded to become Google’s app development platform and an indispensable developer tool. The company that does so much to simplify developer’s lives began its life as something completely different.